This invention deals with a decorative wall mount for window and other treatments and, more particularly, to a corbel and a mounting bracket therefor.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,903,394, 5,042,549, and 6,085,821 all of Beverly R. Roberts, deal with the decorative treatment of windows.
While the present invention, as will be readily apparent hereinafter, has a wide range of uses, for purpose of the present description the invention will be treated as primarily a window top treatment.
There are, in use today, numerous types of window top treatments, characterized as either xe2x80x9chardxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9csoftxe2x80x9d. Examples of the xe2x80x9chardxe2x80x9d or structured treatments are the cornice board, lambrequin, and the cantoniere. Each of these treatments uses a unit which is made of rigid material and which has front, top, and side members of varying lengths, to which decorative fabric or material is attached which follows the shape and form of the unit. The xe2x80x9csoftxe2x80x9d treatment is exemplified by the valance, which is the most often used due to its simplicity, variety, economy, and versatility.
In general, a valance is a decorative fabric arrangement used as a top treatment over windows. It can be made in a variety of fabrics and styles, with the fabric itself hanging from a horizontal support unit positioned above the window. Other than the attachment of the fabric to the support unit, there is no additional fabric supporting hardware and thus the fabric has an unrestricted freedom to give a soft, draping, unstructured appearance. The support unit may take any of a number of forms, as shown and described in the aforementioned Roberts patents. As discussed in those patents, for example, the support unit may be in the form of rods, rings, hoops, swag holders, and the like, all of which have limited versatility that does not allow creation of the xe2x80x9cGeorgianxe2x80x9d style or contemporary or casual styles. The Roberts patents disclose window treatment devices that do have such versatility and, further, that solve prior existing problems of the materials used to make window treatment devices.
Each of the patents is directed to a xe2x80x9cconsumer friendlyxe2x80x9d device, a principal part of which is made of expanded polystyrene which is light weight, easily workable, inert, non-insect attracting, and odor free. It is contemplated that when such devices are supplied to consumers in kit form, the consumer can readily assemble, attach decorative material thereto, and mount the device without the need of special tools or the like.
Although the arrangement shown in these patents represent a great increase in versatility, even greater versatility, convenience, and ease of use are desiderata to which the present invention is directed.
The present invention is a device generically known as a corbel, and a mounting bracket therefor. A corbel is an architectural device generally used to support a cornice or an arch, and generally is used on building exteriors.
The present invention is an adaptation of the corbel for use indoors to serve as a decorative treatment device usable in window treatments, bed canopies, wall sconces or brackets, support for curtain or drapery rods, and even picture easels.
In greater detail, the corbel of the invention comprises a body member made of an expanded polystyrene or other lightweight porous material to which can be affixed decorative material, such as fabrics or the like by means of pins, staples, tacks, adhesive, or any of a number of suitable affixing means. In practice, the fastening means should be unobtrusive, the realization of which is easiest by the use of adhesives or a combination of pins and adhesive, but it is not intended that this disclosure be restricted thereto.
In a first embodiment of the invention, the corbel has the classic corbel shape of a rear flat surface, a flat top surface, a roughly S-shaped front surface, and a flat bottom surface. A stress bearing surface is created by a narrow slit cut into the top surface and extends either partially or entirely thereacross, substantially parallel to the plane of the rear surface. The S-shape creates an upper or central portion of the corbel that is substantially deeper from front to rear than is the lower portion. Within the upper or central portion is a bore which extends completely through the portion approximately parallel to the plane of the rear surface. As will be apparent from the following detailed description and figures, this transverse bore can serve to hold curtains or drapes or other fabrics, or may be used to hold a rod extending between twin corbels on either side of the upper portion of a window, or other object, such as a mirror, that it is desirable to decorate. The references to xe2x80x9cupper,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9clower,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cfront,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9crear,xe2x80x9d, and xe2x80x9ctopxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cbottomxe2x80x9d are to the orientation of the device as shown in the figures and not necessarily to the orientation of use.
Because of the thickness or depth from front to back of at least the upper portion of the corbel, which makes mounting the corbel in other than a permanent mount difficult, the present invention includes a mounting bracket therefor.
The mounting bracket comprises an elongated flat rear member having front and rear surfaces of suitable material such as sheet metal or thin, hard plastic having first and second spaced mounting holes therein for mounting the bracket to the wall with suitable means, such as moly bolts, toggle bolts, or wall board screws or bolts. The upper end of the elongated rear member has a square U-shape with a forward extending spacer member and a short depending leg. The spacing between the rear member and the depending leg is roughly equal to the spacing between the rear surface of the corbel and the transverse stress bearing surface created by the slit in the top thereof, into which the depending leg fits. Extending from the front surface of the rear member of the bracket are one or more retaining members such as spaced tangs having pointed ends. It is to be understood that there may be more than two mounting holes and, preferably two or more spaced tangs. It is also to be understood that tangs are used herein as preferred retaining members, but that members other than tangs might readily be used.
In mounting the corbel to a wall, the bracket is first mounted thereto by suitable means, as discussed. The top of the corbel is then inserted into the space between the rear member and the front leg of the b racket by cocking the corbel so that the leg of the depending bracket is aligned with the slit in the corbel. The lower portion of the corbel is then rotated toward the bracket, driving, the tangs into the rear surface of the corbel until the rear surface is flush with the rear member of the bracket, and the depending lea of the bracket is fully inserted in the slit, thereby firmly securing the corbel to the bracket.
In use, as will be clear hereinafter, the weight of decorative material and the weight of the rod, if one is used, exercise both a vertical, downward force on the bracket and a rotational force. The tangs or other retaining members resist the downward force and the depending leg of the bracket resists the rotational force. As a consequence, the corbel is firmly held in place even though the weight of the decorative material is considerable. In addition, when the corbel is mounted to the bracket, the spacer member of the U-shaped portion of the bracket is not readily visible, being located, generally, above normal view height.
As will be apparent from the detailed description hereinafter, the basic structure described hereinbefore is adaptable to a wide variety of decorative arrangements, such as, for example, a window treatment with a fabric scarf, a window treatment with a rod and curtain or drapes, a mock bed canopy, or wall brackets or sconces. In addition, modification to the shape of the corbel can add further capabilities such as, in one embodiment of the invention, a depression formed in the front of the corbel can convert the corbel to use as a picture or mirror easel or holder. In another embodiment, the stress bearing surface may be part of the front surface.
The numerous features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.